Method and means for mining oil sands



March 6, 1928. 1,661,390

E. G. slNcLAlR METHOD AND MEANS FOR MIN/ING OIL SANDS Filed oct. 1e, `-I1926 panying drawings, in whichz Patented Mar. 6, 1928.

vUNITED STATES 1,661,390 PATENT OFFICE.

EWART G. SINCLAIR, F MARACAIBO, VENEZUELA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MIDWEST REFINING COMPANY, 0F DENVER, COLORADO, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR MINING OIL SANDS.

Application led October 16, 1926.l Serial No. 142,114.

The invention relates to a novel method' and means for minin oil sands for the recovery of the oil therein by drainage or seepage into tunnels or drifts penetra-ting the sandsor 'other oil bear-ines formations, the invention contemplating t e provision of a special construction of tunnels, galleries or drifts, by lining the sections of the tunnels with an impervious sheathing, which is offset from the lower portions of the side walls of the tunnel to form oil and gas chambers, the bottoms of which are constituted by gutters which receive the oil and conduct the same to a sump or receiving chamber whence it may be pumped to the surface, any gas developed during the driving of the tunnel or in the subsequent extraction of the oil from the sands being drawn through these gas and oil chambers by suitable pumps or suction fans and collected for treatment to extract the valuable constituents of the gases.

The invention is illustrated in the accom- Fig. l is a cross section through a typical drift or tunnel provided with the impervious lininfr and the laterally disposed air and gas cham ers.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the tunnel with one part of the same finished with the lining and the other in process of construction. 1

In the usual method of. mining oil as heretofore practiced on a successful scale, it has been customary to sink a shaft to the oil bearing stratum and then drive tunnels or galleries into the stratum connected together 'by cross cuts to form a network of galleries, from the-walls of which the oil drains and seeps from the adjacent sands, is collected in gutters in the floors of the galleries and is conducted to a suitable sump or pit from which it is pumped to the surface. In carrying out these mining operations in formations which produce large quantities of gas, there is always great and imminent danger of explosions, when the gas evolved in the mine is admixed with the Ventilating air and isignited by an accidental spark or other' means. It, therefore, becomes imperatively necessary, in carrying out these operatlons in Vgas producingr oil mlnes, to prevent the admixture of ventilating air with the evolved ases. It is also highly desirable to recovert e largest possible percentage of the oil from the sands and also to conserve the evolved gases, which are frequently rich in gasoline and other valuable constituents. The instant invention involves an improvement on the'mining operations. as heretofore carried out, which accomplishes both of these objects, to wit, a maximum recovery of oil from the sands and the conservation Aof the evolved gases, as well as the practical elimnation of danger of explosions.

In carrying out the invention, the usual shaft is sunk through the oil bearing sands and galleries or tunnels are driven from the shaft into the sands to permit the oil to drain or seep from the sands into the tunnels.

iccording to the present invention, a relatively short section of each drift or tunnel is excavated and finished before the succeed ing section is started. For example, say, when one hundred feet of a drift,-as illus trated in the drawings, has been driven and provided with lateral gutters 5 running along the bottom on each side, the drift or tunnel `l is lined with an imperviousor gas-tight sheathing, which may be applied by securing wire mesh fabric 3 to the roof and upper portions of the side walls of the drift by means of pins 7 and covering the mesh with one or two inches of Sand and cement concrete, the sheathing or lining adjacent the lower portions of the side Walls being odset, as at 6, and being connected to the concrete lined gutters 5 to formcontinuous oil and gas chambers 2, 2 running the entire length of the lined tunnel, as indicated in Figs. l a.nd 2. The entrance end of each of said air and gas chambers 2 adjacent the shaft is provided with a pipe connection by means of Which the gas may be drawn off by a suit-able pump or suction fan and delivered to any appropriate storage reservoir or plant where the gasoline and other valuable constituents of the gas may be extracted. Pref# erably, the inner end of the sheathed drift or tunnel is sealed by means of a suitable bulkhead 12 provided with a door by means of which the workmen may enter the extension of the drift and continue the excavation of the latter to form the succeeding section, which is treated in like mannenas the first. section, thisoperation being carried on until the entire drift is completed. If the Working face and the unlned extension of the drift evolves a large quantity of gas, 1t will be necessary to provide the workmen with suitable respiratory apparatus to enable them to carry out the work in the atmosphere of gas, the ventilating air being excluded by the bulkhead 12. In order to draw off the accumulation of gas in the workinfr, pipes 10 are laid along the floor of the drift and pass through the bulkhead l2 and discharge the gas, into the miniature oil and gas tunnels 2, 2, the pipes l0 being provided with suitable valves or dampers 11.

Should it be found necessary to carry on blasting operations in the face of the working, it is desirable that the blasting timbers or bulkhead 13 be set up ahead of the completed section of the tunnel or drift to protect the latter from the effect of the blast. Ordinarily, the pipes l0 will be carried up close to the Working face of the drift, so that all of the heavier vapors, whichqare highly explosive and dangerous to work in, will be immediately carried out of the drift. When it becomes necessary to install the bulkhead 13 during the blasting operations,

the forward sections of 'the pipes 10 are removed.

When the drifts are connected by cross cuts, the same type of construction is employedg that is to say, the cross cuts are lined with the impervious sheathing of reinforced concrete and provided with drains or gutters vand oil and gas chambers, which connect with thosein the main drifts, so that all of the oil and gas extracted from the sands are delivered to the same ultimate collection oints.

Should 1t hap en that the mining operations result in tiie production of relatlvely small amounts of as, it is not necessary that the door and t e bulkhead 12 be kept closed and a portion of the Ventilating air inthe lined tunnel or drift may be permitted to enter the unlined extension where it will assist in carrying away the gases. This is (feasible, when the mixture of air and gas in the Working does not contain more than two-tenths of one percent of vapors.

In addition to the inherent advantages of this system of mining oil deposits, a further material advantage arises from the fact that the lining of the tunnels, drifts and cross cuts with the impervious sheathing prevents the evaporation of the valuable constituents of the oil by contact with the Ventilating air in the tunnels or drifts, as, under ordinary circumstances, the air is not permitted to come in contact with the oil, except in such cases when relatively small amounts of gas are evolved and the admission of air is necessary to sweep the latter out of the workings.

As indicated, cach gallery or tunnel is advanced by sections as far as possible, each section being driven and completed in turn and, when any drift or cross cut has been thus completed, a cement brattice may bc placed across the end of the concreted tunnel, after which the air and gases may be exhausted from the face of the drift and from the open faces of the side walls of the Oil and gas chambers 2, thereby increasing the drainage or seepage of the oil from the adjacent sands and the particular drift will be left under these conditions until the oil ceases to fiow.

What I claim is:

1. The method of mining oil sands which comprises sinking a shaft to the sand. driving a tunnel into the sand in successive sections with connecting lateral gutters, lining the sections with an impervious sheathing offset from the lower portions of the side walls to form oiland gas chambers above the gutters, and exhausting the gas from said chambers. y

2. The method of mining oil sands which comprises sinking a shaft to the sand, driving a tunnel into the sand in successive sections with connecting lateral gutters, lining the sections with an impervious sheathing offset from the lower portions of the side walls to form oil and gas chambers above the gutters, sealing the end of the lined tunnel While an advanced section is being driven, and exhausting the gas from said ls)ection and the walls by way of said chamers.

3. A tunnel construction for mining oil sands comprising a drift excavated in the sand, lateral gutters in the bottom of the drift, an impervious lining for the ceilin and the upper part ofthe side walls an( offset from the lower portions of the side Walls to form oil and gas collection chambers above the gutters, and means for withrawing the gas from said chambers.

4. A tunnel construction for mining oil sands comprising a drift excavated in the sand; lateral gutters in thev bottom of the drift, an impervious lining for the ceiling and the upper part of the side walls and offset from the lower portions of the side walls to form oil and gas collection chambers above the utters, and a closure for the end of the lined tunnel.

In testimony whereof I aii'ix my signature.

EWART G. SIN CLAIR. 

